Mail-box alarm.



G. H. DI EMER. I MAIL BOX ALARM. 1 J

APPLICATION FILED FEB.21. 1910. RENEWED MAR. 2, 1911.

1,005,004. 1 Patented 0013,1911.

ntOLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. I). c.

GUSTAV HENRY DIEMER, OE TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

MAIL-BOX ALARD'I. v

nooaooa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed February 21, 1910, Serial No. 545,152. Renewed March 2, 1911. Serial No. 611,939.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUSTAV H. DIEMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinidad, in the county of Las Animas, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Box Alarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail boxes such as are commonly used on rural free delivery routes wherein the box is situated at a distance from the house.

The invention liasspecial reference to an alarm for such boxes whereby the occupant of a house can be notified when mail is de-. posited in the box.

The principal object of the present in vention is to provide an alarm for boxes of this character which will be operated only during the time when the mailman is depositing mail in the box and which will be inoperative at all other times.

W'ith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the severcl views, and :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a box constructed in accordance with this invention, the view being partly in section to show the interior of the box and an alarm circuit being diagramatically indicated in connection with the box. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the view showing the cover of the box raised.

The numeral 10 indicates the casing of a mail box and this casing is provided in its top with a transverse mail receiving slot 11.

At 12 is a cover and this cover is attached to the casing of the box by means of hinges 13 and is so positioned that when the cover is down the box is closed, so that access to the slot 11 is prevented. This cover is provided with some form of finger grip 14: for raising the same. The casing 10 is also provided with a door 15 of the ordinary locked type and which is used by persons receiving the mail and by the postman for removing mail from the box. Extending across the casing adjacent the bottom of the box is a partition 16 on the under side of which is secured a knife switch having a base 17, poles 18 and a blade 19 pivoted to one of the poles.

At 20 is a rod which has its lower end pivoted to the blade 19 and its upper end pivoted to an eye 21 secured to the cover 12. This rod 20 is of such length that when the cover is closed as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1 the knife switch will be open while when the cover is raised to the position indicated in dotted lines in said figure the knife switch will be closed. Connected to the poles of this knife switch is an electric circuit 22 which includes a battery 22 and a bell 23, these being indicative of a suitable source of electric energy and a suitable alarm.

In the operation of the device when the mailman comes to the box and desires to remove mail without depositing any he simply opens the door 15 and takes out the mail. This will not actuate the alarm. If he desires, however, to deposit any mail he raises the cover 12 and this closes the switch in the bottom of the box. The closing of this switch completes the circuit and causes the alarm to ring in the manner common to such devices. When he leaves the box he closes the cover and thus opens the switch and breaks the circuit so that the alarm ceases to sound.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the electric current is only utilized during the time in which the mailman is depositing mail so that in case of a battery being used and there being no one in the house the alarm will not continue to ring and use up the current of battery.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

In a device of the kind described, a mail box comprising a casing having a mail re ceiving slot in the top, a cover for said slot, hinges connecting said cover and casing, a partition extending across said casing adjacent the bottom thereof, an electric knife switch provided with a base attached to the under side of the partition, and a rod piv- In testimony whereof, I aifiX my signature, 1n presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV HENRY DIEMER.

l/Vitnesses:

MITCHELL LA CROSS, JAMES BRIERLY.

oted t0 the blade of said switch and to said cover, said rod being of a length to open the switch when the cover is closed and close the switch when the cover is open; in com bination with a circuit including a battery and bell, said circuit being connected to the poles of said switch.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

